First things first: an infographic is a collection of data presented in a visually appealing manner. When done right they’re captivating, fun to read, and are more likely to get shared than plain text.

Here’s why you should utilize them in your content marketing:

They’re Compelling
People love facts. Things like:

Honey is the only food that will not rot—it can remain edible for over 3,000 years.

The hair on a polar bear is not white, but clear. They reflect light so they appear white.

Researchers have determined that most people are happiest at 7:26 PM on Saturday night.

These factoids—and those presented in your infographic—are attention grabbing. They literally catch people’s eyes and enhance the value and appeal of your content. As humans, we are better at quickly interpreting visual information over words. People are more likely to retain information presented in infographics (supposedly, people only retain 20% of what they read). And since 2010, searches for infographics have increased by 800%—that’s love.

Presents a lot of Content
Infographics are snackable content—something we can munch on between meals. They’re accessible, scannable and easily understood. They force you to cut the fluff and present the meat of the subject in a visually appealing way. Face it, people are lazy. And visual content is easier to take in than written content.

Boosts Traffic
Sharable content can only be a positive for your business’s website. And tasty tidbits like infographics are constantly being circulated—if done well. Infographics are commonly referred to as link bait (content within a website designed specifically to encourage people to link to your website). If people link back to your infographic, you’ll likely get a boost in rankings from search engines.

But don’t misunderstand us, you can’t simply toss a couple of stats on an image and call it good. Quality infographics worth sharing take careful planning and time. So if design isn’t in your wheelhouse, hire someone who’s experienced with design or illustration to ensure that your infographic is picture perfect.

Shows Thought Leadership
They say you don’t fully understand something until you can explain it simply to someone else. And we agree (with whoever “they” is). And infographics highlight your knowledge of a subject to potential clients. They show that you have an expert understanding within your field and make you stand out amongst competition.